Can anyone tell me if it is possible to convert a 2003 F150 Full time 4WD to Parttime 4WD? If so, how?

 

different transfer case. my buddy did this in his 97 exploer is was AWD he got a F-150 front axle and Transfercase blew a hole in the floor and he could go from 2WD to 4x4

 

Pretty positive that Ford didn't offer a full-time 4wd (AWD) in the 97-03 F150. No full-time 4wd in Ford since the late-70s models if I remember right. Just the manual & electric-shift 4wd for 97-03.

Both of the manual and electric systems use a part-time transfer case, one is shifted with a lever on the floor and the other has an electric shift motor that is controlled by a **** on the dash. Both systems use a vacuum actuator to disconnect the front driveshaft...the half-shafts are then free from the driveshaft to float inside the front axle housing.

If there is a full-time setup on those trucks, I'll stand corrected and would be interested in hearing more about em. (The only full-times that I know of are in the Exploders that shifty_85 mentioned).

 

Should've added this too...

Are you thinking that your truck is full-time because it doesn't have the traditional lock-out hubs and that's what you're looking for? I don't know of anyone making a lockout hub conversion for that hub/axle style. Pretty sure you're stuck turning the half-shafts with the hubs.

 

You are correct. Full-time 4wd" , to me, means I don't have get out of the truck in order to engage axle, ie: a switch on the dash. Part-time means I have to lumber out into the muck and manually turn the locker in order to engage the axle. I want to attempt to save some fuel by being able to disengage the front axle and all attached to it that may cause undo stress upon, my otherwise, underpowered F150. Someone rumoured that you could put aftermarket hubs on to achieve this. Not being a trained Ford mechanic, executive, or officianado I was asking for advice and direction.

 

There are no aftermarket hubs to do this. Also only the front half shafts are turning when in 2wd. Nothing else. It is disconnected at the diff.

 

I did stumble across something you might be interested in when I was shopping for transfer case parts a month or so ago.

Might be just what you're looking for if you want a mechanical shift for the front diff. This would replace the vacuum actuator that shifts the front differential in/out of gear.
http://www.drivetrain.com/4x4PosiLock.html

 

I have one of those. It is nice to have positive engagement but the factory system will also provide the same. It will however allow you to choose 4x2 Lo. It doesn't engage as well as it sounds. It is also more difficult to disengage. The position they suggest to install the **** leaves much to desire. You have to reach down to pull the **** and while you are stooped over you are in a compromised position. You can only engage it after you have shifted the t-case. There goes the instant shift on the fly capability.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

PS. I am considering going back to the OEM system.

 

you're defining full time 4wd as automatic locking hubs.

i think of 4wd as part-time only, it has to be activated by the driver to power all 4 wheels.

fulltime 4wd is usually called AWD (all wheel drive), where either all 4 wheels are being powered at all times or the front axle engages automatically when a computer tells it to, not the driver.

 

I don't want to drift the thread off topic too far, but as I was limping home in 2Lo with my trashed transfercase (it was stuck in low range regardless of switch position), I got to thinking about using a toggle switch and maybe a relay or two to disable the vacuum solenoids for the front axle shift when I wanted to.
I kind of like the 2Lo option every now and then...I use it quite a bit with my little Nissan (xfercase in 4Lo with the manual hubs unlocked), and figured this might be a way I can have that option in my F150 without completely killing the shift-on-the-fly capability by installing that manual front axle shift cable kit.

Hmmm.......

 

GiJoeCam did a write up on that mod. You have to be sure that if you want to not engage the front axle you keep the disengage solenoid energized to stop the shift fork from accidentally moving the gear.

regards

Jean Marc Chartier